Coffee infuser



E. WEINBERGER COFFEE INFUSER Filed Jan. 24, 1938 I Jan. 16, 1940.

EMANUEL INVENTOR WEINBE'RfiER W ATTORNEY Patented Jan. ,1940

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IGOFFEE INFUSER Emanuel weinberger Netv York, N. Y. n 1 Application January24, 1938, Seri al No. 12 36,631

This inventionrelates to coffee more particularly to improvements in the cofiee- I holding receptacle which rests on the pot or urn. In restaurants andpther establishments in a which large capacity coffee makers are used, coffee is made in fixed predetermined amounts,

1. e., for a certain capacity urn, a specified amount of ground cofiee is placed in the cofiee receptacle inrelation to the number of gallons of water intheurn. In urns as atpresent constructed, it is not possible to make a lesser amount of coffee than capacity withoutispecial timing and careful watching duringthe infiltration period. Moreover, the coffee willvaryIrom the desired standard unlessexpertlydone.

Thepresentinvention, therefore, seeks to provide an improved coffee maker wherein a desired amount of coffee maybe made at full capacity of the urn or at any desiredproportion thereof.

, The invention also seeks to provide a coffee a l maker in which small amounts of coffee may be I made as rapidly and as efficiently as larger amounts. I I

In carrying out. the inVention it is" proposed to provide means in the form of binder plates -which are placed upon thecoifee filter and to f form these plates with openings varying in size as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

which should be considered exemplary only of 40 the invention. I

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial elevational, partial sectional view of the upper portion of a coffee maker incorporating features of the invention. I I

45, Figs. 2, 3;and 4 are plan views ofbinder plates selectively used for brewing varying amounts of .coifee. n

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a binder plate assem- .bly incorporating adjusting means 'for varying the filter opening.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the cofl'ee maker in the usual. manner comprises an urn Ill having disposed therein a crock II and makers and placed in the receptacle. I

2 Claims. cits-gs) fittedwith a coffee grounds receptacle generally designated I I2. In the present form the receptacle comprisesa container 13 fitted with a cover I4, and provided with a shoulder l5 adapted to seat upon the topedge of the crock ll. In this I tion, one of several adaptor plates, such asshown in Figfs.2, 3, and 4,and designated 20, 2|, and 22, maybe placed over the filter I9, as shown in Fig. 1 It will be noted that these platesor filtert 0 ,binders are flat andare preferably madeof hard,

stifi material such as aluminum, and are ofsuflicient weight to press down upon and firmly hold the filter in position against the bottom of the receptacle. When in position, the binder covers the filter against contact of water and coffee grounds and the essence formed thereby, except at thatportion of the filter which is exposed through the opening 23 of the binder 2D, the opening 24 of the binder 2i, and the opening 25 of the binder 22.v Thus, when the binder 20 having the smallest opening, isemployed, a relatively small amount of the filter is exposed in filtration, and successively larger portions of said filter are so exposed when binders having successively larger openings are so employed.

From the foregoing it is apparentuthat when anzamount of, coffee commensurate with the full capacityof the urn is to be brewed, the binder plate having the largest opening will be employed 40 'to expose the greatest portion of the filter tothe.

passage therethrough of the coifee essence formed when hot water is poured'over the coffee groundsplaced in the receptacle upon the filter and binder plate. coffee than the full capacity of the urn is de-v sired, one of the binder plates havinga smaller opening will be used, the size of the opening being proportional to the amount of coffee grounds It is apparent from the above that under the second mentioned conditions, should a binder plate having too large an opening be used, the

infiltration period would be toorapid for the small amount of cofiee grounds and the coffee es- When a lesser amount of 45 the receptacle to extend the period of infiltration;

This process would require careful watching and would naturally result in brews which vary in flavor, strength, and aroma.

In employing the binder plates as above indicated, a single infiltration period only is necessary, said period being controlled by the size of the opening in the selected binder plate used for the amount of coffee desired.

Another manner of obtaining the results above described is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein a binder plate 26 havingone or more openings 21, is associated with a valving plate 28 having notches or openings 29 commensurately formed with the openings 21. As shown, the valving plate may be formed with a central projecting pin 3|] disposed in a central opening 3| in the binder plate so that said valving plate may be rotated in relation to said opening plate upon their commonv axis. In order to insure definite relational positioning of the valving plate and the binder plate,,a pin 32 may beprovided on said valving plate, said pin being adapted to enter selectively any of the openings 33 provided in the binder plate. Thus, when positioned as shown, the openings 21 are fully uncovered to expose the largest surface of the filter I9, positioned therebeneath, and whenthe pin 32 is placed in any of the other openings 33, lesser portions of theopenings 21 are uncovered to expose commensurately lesser ,portions of the filter. As a guide to the user, an

index mark 34 may be placed on the valving plate to be read in association with the appropriate markings orindicia 35 on the binder plate. The twoplates 26 and 28, while'defin'itely associated when in use, may be readily separated for thorough cleansing.

In the usual manner, the receptacle 'may be provided with a perforated Water spreader .36 .whichis positioned upon a seat 31 above that .portion of the receptacle in which the coifee grounds are disposed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that an improved and simple coifee maker has been provided and while two forms of the invention have been disclosed, skilled persons may seek to practice the invention in other ways. For this reason the prior art rather than the instant disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the scope of the invention, as claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a coffee maker, a coffee grounds receptacle having a pocketed seat and a perforated bottom wall, a filter positioned in said seat upon said bottom wall, and means for selectively exposing a different proportional area of said filter to the contact of a commensurate amount of coffee grounds placed in said receptacle, said means comprising a binder plate removably positioned in said seat and upon the filter, said plate having a plurality of openings and a central hole,

means for varying the eifective size of said openings, said means comprising a valving plate having a central pin, and adapted to be positioned in saidseat in relation to said binder plate with its pin in the said hole, said valving plate having portions adapted to cover portions of said mentioned Openings, and means for determining the effective size of said openings in relation to the amount of coffee grounds in the receptacle, said last-mentioned means including a second pin on the valving plate, and a plurality of recesses in the binder plate selectively engageable by said second pin.

2. In a coffee maker, a coffee grounds receptacle having a pocketed seat and a perforated bottom wall, a filter positioned in said seat upon saidbottom wall, means for selectively exposing a different proportional area of said filter to the contact of a commensurate amount of coffee grounds placed in said receptacle, said means comprising a binder plate removably positioned in said seat and upon the filter, said plate having a plurality of openings, means for varying the effectivesize of said openings, said means comprising a valving plate adapted to be positioned in said seat in relation to said binder plate and .having portions adapted to cover portions of said 

